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NOUS41 KALY 291059
PNSALY

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT MON APRIL 29 2012

...SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK CONTINUES...

APRIL 28 TO MAY 4 IS SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK IN
NEW YORK...VERMONT...CONNECTICUT...AND MASSACHUSETTS. ALL RESIDENTS
ARE URGED TO BE WEATHER READY BY PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM THE HAZARDS
OF FLOODING...TORNADOES...AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

EASTERN NEW YORK AND WESTERN NEW ENGLAND GET THEIR SHARE OF SEVERE
WEATHER. IN AN AVERAGE YEAR...ABOUT NINE TORNADOES OCCUR IN NEW YORK
AND ANOTHER 6 OCCUR ACROSS NEW ENGLAND...AND HUNDREDS OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLE ACROSS THE NORTHEAST. IN 2011...TROPICAL STROM
IRENE AND THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE BROUGHT WIDESPREAD FLASH
FLOODING TO OUR AREA.

TODAY WE REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER TERMS AND DEFINTIONS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEFINED AS THOSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT PRODUCE
WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND OR HAIL OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER OR
LARGER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH
YOUR DAILY ROUTINE...BUT BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY
SHOULD A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING BE ISSUED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING MEANS THAT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURING. A
WARNING IMPLIES A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. YOU SHOULD
SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY WHEN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED.

TORNADOES ARE VIOLENTLY ROTATING COLUMNS OF AIR IN CONTACT WITH THE
GROUND AND ATTACHED TO THE CLOUD BASE ABOVE. LIKE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS. A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO IS IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. A TORNADO WARNING IMPLIES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE AND
PROPERTY. TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM IMMEDIATELY.

FLASH FLOODING IS A RAPID RISE...WITHIN SIX HOURS...OF WATER ALONG A
STREAM OR LOW LYING URBAN AREA. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF FLASH FLOODING
IS DOWNPOURS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS
THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH FLOODING. CONTINUE WITH YOUR
DAILY ACTIVITIES...BUT BE PREPARED TO HEAD TO A PLACE OF SAFETY SHOULD
A FLASH FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED. A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT
FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. FLOOD WATERS CAN RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK
HIGH GROUND IMMEDIATELY WHEN A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...
TORNADO...AND FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS FOR THE AREA LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED
BY THE STORM...RATHER THAN FOR AN ENTIRE COUNTY. THIS METHOD NARROWS
THE REGION FOR WHICH A WARNING IS VALID...ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY WARNINGS
FOR AREAS OF A COUNTY WHERE NO THREAT EXISTS.

NOAA WEATHER RADIO OFFERS ONE WAY TO RECEIVE IMMEDIATE RELAY OF ANY
SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS. MANY LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS ALSO
BROADCAST WEATHER ALERTS. COMPUTERS AND WIRELESS DEVICES CAN ALSO RECEIVE
WARNINGS. THE RED CROSS...SOME STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND
PRIVATE VENDORS HAVE WIRELESS APPLICATIONS THAT WILL ALERT YOU OF SEVERE
WEATHER BY RELAYING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNINGS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...GO TO OUR
WEB SITE WWW.WEATHER.GOV. THEN CLICK ON EASTERN NEW YORK OR WESTERN NEW
ENGLAND. FINALLY...SELECT OUR SEVERE WEATHER AWARENESS LINK.

TOMORROW WE DISCUSS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

$$

DIRIENZO